By the time we get to midlife, many of us have fallen into one of two camps - the 'have kids' and the 'have nots'. So how do both sides navigate midlife dating? What are the experiences and challenges of single parents trying to date midlife and what are the experience and perspectives of those who don't have children and are dating single parents? We look at single parenting from multiple perspectives including broadening out the definition of parenting beyond the traditional view of being a 'biological' parent. This is also the final episode of the season and the takeaway message for the whole season is not one that Anita was expecting to arrive at...

The COVID-19 Pandemic has thrown our lives into turmoil, including our traditional ways of dating midlife. However humans are incredibly adaptable, resilient and our need for human connection and intimacy does not vanish just because a life threatening virus has emerged on the global scene. This episode hears stories of the impact of COVID-19 on midlife dating including the positive and negative impact of the intensity of lockdown, our social responsibility to those around us when dating, the risks associated with seemingly simple acts such as touching, navigating the world of zoom dating and the grief associated with the reduced possibility of 'in real life' love when you are keeping 1.5m away from people in a surgical mask. Yet the human spirit, need for connection and intimacy, and love and desire continues to live on.

If there was ever a clear takeaway from this podcast episode regarding midlife dating, it is three simple words - Race Does Matter. As a woman of colour, I have always suspected that my race played a role in my dating prospects, and this was confirmed through the frank stories shared in this podcast. From honest accounts of racial preferences to discussions about stereotypical assumptions and fetishisation, this podcast reveals that race is relevant to all aspects of our lives, and our dating lives are not immune. Yet we all have unconscious bias and it is important that we ask questions and test our assumptions....just maybe not during the opening conversation when we match or meet with someone!. This podcast episode was recorded during the weeks of the Black Lives Matter rallies and protests after the death of George Floyd and highlights how important it is that we question racial bias in all aspects of our lives. To join the Piece of the Puzzle Podcast community, you can like us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  

Ghosting. The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly, and without explanation, disappearing from all communication. This term is most often utilised in the context of online dating. Many of us midlife daters have both been ghosted and have ghosted someone who we just no longer want to communicate with. But why do we do it? And what is the impact on those who have been ghosted? We hear people's stories and finish with the story of someone who was ghosted in a pretty humiliating way but went on to find a relationship through an online dating site. 

The decision to swipe left or right on someone's online dating profile can be a decision we make within a few seconds. Within those few seconds we are making a series of micro judgments based on people's profile pictures and descriptions about whether this person is compatible. So what are some of the factors behind whether someone swipes left or right, and what are the value judgments underpinning that decision? We finish with a success story of someone who rediscovered who they were through online dating after the breakdown of her marriage.

Online dating can be fraught and intimidating to some but it is also one of the principal ways to meet people when you are midlife dating. Your social networks and connections may have diminished compared to when you were in your late teens or 20s and many people in your social circles may already be in relationships. This episode looks at what is stopping people from online dating, hears tips and stories from people who have been online dating and contains a real life success story of someone who found love in midlife through online dating.

Welcome to Piece of the Puzzle Podcast - a podcast exploring the mysteries of midlife (30s to 50s) dating including online dating. This first episode explains the aim of the podcast, the format for each episode and officially launches the podcast.